Lemon Drops
by Wotcher-Tonks
Summary: A talk in Dumbledore's study leads to some interesting revelations. Set during HBP, slightly AU. Draco/Hermione Random Sentences Challenge from Kore-Of-Myth on Writing Challenges forum.


. Draco Abraxus Malfoy sat uneasily in Albus Dumbledore's circular office. Dumbledore surveyed Malfoy unblinkingly over the tips of his lengthy fingers, smiling calmly and staring into Malfoy's eyes with his own blue ones. Draco felt the poking sensation that meant someone was attempting Legilimency and immediately threw up mental walls against the attack.

They continued to sit like that until Malfoy's mental walls suddenly crumbled as if made of paper. Dumbledore continued to smile as Malfoy scrambled to throw the walls up again. "Care for a lemon drop, Draco?"

"Er…okay" Draco said after a minute. Dumbledore waved his wand, and a crystal dish filled with yellow sugar coated candies appeared on the desk. Malfoy reached over for one, and put it uncomfortably in his mouth.

They sat in silence a while longer, as Draco finished the lemon candy. Once he was done, Dumbledore (still smiling gently) said, "So, I hear you are assigned to kill me, Draco."

"I…er…yes." Draco stammered.

"I know. You told me so in your mind just now."

Curse Occlumency!

"Well, excuse me while I go throw myself off of the Astronomy tower."

"Oh, I'd rather you don't, Draco. You see, it would be quite a shame for Hogwarts to lose the second top student. The loss of such intelligence would be devastating, as Hermione Granger would lose her competition for top student."

Draco winced at her name, and the reminder it brought of the fact that he was second to a Mudblood. His father had still not forgiven him for that.

"Well, this is quite a tangle, indeed. I do not wish to be killed, and you do not wish to kill."

"How do you know?" Draco demanded, feeling quite discomfited at Dumbledore's insights.

"You told me." Dumbledore reminded him gently.

"Eat cheese. It always makes me feel better." Dumbledore waved his wand, and a plate of different cheeses appeared next to the dish of lemon drops on his desk.

"No thank you." Malfoy muttered. This meeting was getting stranger by the minute.

A knock came at the door, and Malfoy started. Dumbledore laughed lightly, and said, "Come in, Miss Granger." There was a pause, and Granger walked hesitantly into the office.

"You wished to see me, Professor?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly with nerves and surprise. She glared at Malfoy, and he glared back. It was tradition, after all.

"Ah…yes. Mr. Malfoy and I require your sharp mind to help with a bit of a…problem we have."

"Yes, Professor?" she asked, bemusedly.

"You see, Mr. Malfoy has been assigned the valiant task of killing me. He does not wish to do so-"

"How do you know that?" Malfoy demanded angrily.

"You told me." Dumbledore reminded Malfoy kindly.

"He does not wish to do so, and we now face the much larger task of concealing Malfoy and his failure to complete the task, from Lord Voldemort."

Malfoy winced once more at a name and its painful reminders.

He looked over at Granger, and saw, to his satisfaction that she was wincing too.

"Now, that simply won't do." Dumbledore announced.

"It is not good to be fearful of a name-it only lends power to it. Now I want you both to say it three times. Right now," he amended

"V-Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort" they chorused.

"Very good. Now what would you propose we do, Ms. Granger?"

"Well, you should pretend Malfoy has died in his attempt, and bring him into the protection of the Order of The Phoenix" she said confidently.

"Don't I get any say in this?" Malfoy protested.

"No!" Granger shot back.

"Well, it's about me-"

"But you tried to-"

"You Mud-"

"Ever lick a lightbulb?" Dumbledore inquired suddenly, and they stopped quarreling and stared at him.

"They don't taste very good, you know." Dumbledore said mildly. "I would not advocate trying it."

"Er, what _is_ a lightbulb?" Malfoy asked.

"If you cared one bit about Muggles, you would know, Malfoy." Granger said harshly.

"They were invented in 1860 by Thomas Alva Edison," she recited "and-"

"That will do, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said softly.

"Ok. So you know a lot about Muggles. How will that help me?" Malfoy asked bitingly.

"Well…"

"You will have to masquerade as one. It will be the last thing Voldemort suspects. You will pretend to be a Canadian Muggle- I have the sudden urge to sing the Canadian. Yes, I know I'm not Canadian-who has joined the headquarters of the Order of The Phoenix. This is where Ms. Granger comes in. She will teach you everything you need to know about being a Muggle."

"Fine." Draco muttered.

"It's not what I want either, Malfoy." Hermione said acidly.

"Have either of you read Hogwarts, A History?" interrupted Dumbledore.

"Yes." They both said, and turned to look at each other in surprise.

"How many times?" Dumbledore asked.

"Twelve." They said together, turning to stare once more.

"Yes, I think Ms. Granger will do quite nicely for you, Mr. Malfoy."

Fawkes snickered in the corner, as well as a phoenix can snicker.

"Fawkes," Dumbledore warned. "They don't know they like each other yet."

"What?" They yelled.

"Oops." Dumbledore let out a laugh. "I didn't say anything!"

"I…I do, though." Malfoy said. "As long as my whole life is going to be shared, I might as well say it. I do like you Granger. Even though you're a Mudblood. Even though you keep beating me academically. I can't get you out of my head, much as I would like to. But how did you know, Professor?"

"You told me."

"No, I…damn Legilimency!"

Malfoy looked around wildly.

"The problem with this room is that there are no decent walls to bang your head against." Dumbledore said.

Hermione had been standing there, utterly shocked by their revelations.

"But I…"

"You told me." Dumbledore smiled. "I'll be going. I think you two have quite a lot to talk about. And quite a lot of plans to make for Mr. Malfoy's new identity."

"I like you too." Hermione blurted.

"Well, of course." Malfoy said. "I'm irresistible."

"You utter prat!"

"You wouldn't want me any other way. Come on. We've got a lot of planning to do."

Malfoy reached out a pale hand, and Hermione took it, and without a look back they stepped out of the office and into their future.

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